Godzilla



Godzilla (a.k.a. Gojira) is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It’s also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama, made in Japan at a time when the country was reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing in the Pacific. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population’s fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning almost thirty sequels. A thrilling, tactile spectacle that continues to be a cult phenomenon, the original, 1954 Japanese version is presented here, along with Godzilla, King of the Monsters, the 1956 “Americanized” version.

Disc Features

- New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
- New high-definition digital restoration of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Terry Morse’s 1956 reworking of the original (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
- Audio commentary for both movies by film historian David Kalat
- New interviews with actors Akira Takarada and Haruo Nakajima and special effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai
- Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube
- Featurette detailing Godzilla’s photographic effects, introduced by special effects director Koichi Kawakita and special effects photographer Motoyoshi Tomioka
- New interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato
- The Unluckiest Dragon, an illustrated audio essay featuring historian Greg Pflugfelder describing the tragic fate of the fishing vessel Daigo Fukuryu Maru, a real-life event that inspired Godzilla
- Trailers for Godzilla and Godzilla, King of the Monsters
- New English subtitle translation
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic J. Hoberman

DVD
Criterionforum.org user rating averages


Blu-ray
Criterionforum.org user rating averages

The kid inside of me is rejoicing with this release. Godzilla is one of those films that truly takes me back to my childhood watching monster movies on TV after midnight.

I wonder what this means for the other Classic Media released films getting a release. Godzilla Vs. Mothra on Blu with these sorts of extras would give me a heart attack.

The extras on this release certainly beat hands down the relatively paltry set of extras on the Toho/Classic Media release...or the BFI release. Actually, I liked the extras on the Classic Media version of Godzilla v. Mothra better than those on the Godzilla release.

Do you guys remember Godzuki?

God yes, that was my favorite cartoon as a kid. I was one dumb schmuck.

What decade did that cartoon run? The closest thing thing to Japanese animation for me when I was a kid was Astro Boy.

And I remember my mom taking me to the movies when I was kid, too young to go alone, to see all those Godzilla movies in 1964-1966 Cleveland. In fact, she took me to see Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster when it had its first run in the US back then. I know she did it grudgingly, but still.

The show wasn't Japanese. It was a '60s cartoon by Hana-Barbara.

Although it's great that new David Kalat commentaries are here, I'm a bit disappointed that the roundtable commentary on the BFI/Classic Media set isn't included. Nor is the newsreel footage of the fisherman, only an audio discussion on it. Still, this is one amazing set.

late 70's I thought. you can tell by the clothing.

Either way I wasn't born yet, but these always came on as a kid, along with Super Friends.

The Internet says 1969.

We are prob talking about 2 different cartoons, but that link Tom posted was for a 1978 cartoon.

That's what I get for trusting the Internet.

I think Bambi meets Godzilla was 69'.

Kalat mentioned that he had another commentary part-completed when he announced his semi-retirement a few months ago- I imagine this was it. It's a shame if he doesn't do any more, but if this is his last, it's a pretty great one to go out on.

He also did a commentary on Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, in that big Classic Media box set, for anyone who's interested. I actually thought those were largely great releases, though I'd be happy to see Criterion put some of them out on blu.

Would have been an awesome extra...

Do you think Toho's a little protective of this property? I recall the Classic Media release had Toho logos and stickers on the cover. Criterion's got this listed right below the supplements:

I would be too for what's essentially my Mickey Mouse. Compared to the stunts Disney has pulled that's nothing.

I'm just glad a decent print of Gojira is coming out.

There's also a "TM" on on the front of the cover. Which I don't think is on any other Criterion release.

Funny you should mention that...my Grandpa took me to see "Godzilla vs. The Thing" in 1964 in Detroit. Since I didn't freak out over that, a few weeks later he took me to see "Evil Of Frankenstein" at the same theater. Things were a lot different back then, weren't they?

Sci Fi Japan has posted a short article about this release, including a brief interview with David Kalat.

I wonder what the reviewer means by Kalat's commentary being "too emotional".